Monday, February 28, 2011

2/28/2011 - OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Two load teams from 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron competed side-by-side on an A-10 Thunderbolt II and an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft for the right to be called best load crew of the year at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Feb. 24. The competition included a tool kit inspection, written exam, military standards inspection and a loading evaluation for technical proficiency, safety procedures and overall time while loading weapons onto an aircraft.

Staff Sgt. Charles Gillessen, 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, performs a pre-flight check of an A-10 Thunderbolt II during a weapons loading completion for the best load crew of the year in a hangar at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Feb. 24 (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chad Thompson)Hi-res

Senior Airman Jacob Cortez, 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, performs some checks on an air-to-air missile during a weapons loading completion for the best load crew of the year in a hangar at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Feb. 24 (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chad Thompson)Hi-res

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.-- Senior Airman Michael Mindziak, 476th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, checks the tail of an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft before takeoff Feb. 23. Airman Mindziak is currently an air reserve technician and works as a crew chief for the maintenance squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Wiseman)Hi-res

by Airman 1st Class Brigitte N. Brantley-Sisk23rd Wing Public Affairs

2/25/2011 - MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- About 80 Reservists at Moody are now doing more than being "Citizen Airmen" as they work alongside active-duty members from the 23rd Wing on a daily basis.

The 476th Fighter Group was activated in 2009 as Moody's first step in total force integration and now has about 240 members, a number which is growing monthly.

"Moody has become a sort of success story for how TFI works," said Col. Gregory Eckfeld, 476th FG commander. "We were sent here to support the 23rd WG's mission and through a mutual relationship, we're accomplishing that. We've got a lot of experience to share with the active-duty members."

The way they are able to share their experience is different from the way active duty members usually accomplish this. Pilots and maintainers are fully-integrated with the 23rd Fighter Group.

"On the AD side, when a maintainer reaches the rank of technical sergeant, they are pulled off the flightline to do more administrative duties," said Chief Master Sgt. Stacy Walker, 476th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron superintendent. "We're different because we still have master sergeants and higher out there working on the planes. Because of this, we are able to train the younger Airmen who are out there."

Although things are running well now, it's not always a smooth process.

"It's a real eye-opener for active-duty members to see how we operate," said Chief Walker. "What makes it challenging is that we spend time educating them on our processes and requirements, and then two years later they move and we have to do it again. It's a learning process."

What may be surprising to most people is that even though the full-timers wear their uniform during the week, they are in a civilian status.

"People get confused about this pretty often," said Staff Sgt. Tamara Strange, 476th Aerospace Medicine Flight. "But the leadership and other people at the 23rd Medical Group have been patient and understanding.

"Although we operate separately and won't become integrated, we still interact with them," she added. "They're very cooperative when we take over their entire building on the weekends."

The three full-time members 476th AMDF do administrative duties on weekdays, but on weekend drill days, provide medical support for the other Reservists. Their medical staff grows to more than 30 people during the weekend.

Although they are fully manned for the medicine flight, the 476th FG is still looking for Reservists who will fill other positions, including maintenance.

"We expect to be fully mission capable and manned by later this year," said Colonel Eckfeld. "The way we man our positions is different. While the Air Force Personnel Center usually provides active-duty offices with the manning needed, Reserve units have to actively recruit members to come to their base."

According to the colonel, the benefits of being a Reservist are a personal preference.

"Some people love coming back to the town they grew up in," he said. "They get the double benefit of serving their country while being near family and having a second career."

Friday, February 25, 2011

Staff Sgt. Harrison Ragin, Airman 1st Class Kevin Jones and Airman Quinten Gregersen perform a 30 mm ammunition upload on an A-10C Thunderbolt II during a demonstration for the Afghan air force, Feb. 22, 2011, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. The munitions demonstration was organized to show the efficiency and safety that has helped make the U.S. Air Force successful. The Airmen are a load crew team assigned to the 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Willard E. Grande II)Hi-res

by Tech Sgt. Emily F. Alley451st AEW Public Affairs

2/25/2011 - KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Near the busy runway of Kandahar Airfield, under the constant rumble of aircraft engines, a group of Afghans gathered with members of the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing to watch a munitions demonstration on the A-10 on Feb. 22, 2011.

The demonstration, however, was about more than the aircraft. It also showed the skills to use technology to its full potential. Airman advisors with the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, also based at Kandahar, teach classes to the Afghans with the hope that they can someday be a strong partner. A dry marker board and desks don't compare with seeing ammo loading on an actual aircraft, said Staff Sgt. Brent Contratto, an advisor to the Afghan air wing at Kandahar. Sergeant Contratto stood with a handful of instructors and wing leadership from the 451st AEW along with the Afghans who are, together, working to build the country's nascent air force.

"This is why this is such a great opportunity." Sergeant Contratto mentioned. "They have the same goal as us, to see a better Afghanistan."

"They have no way to gauge what they're doing with the rest of the world," added Tech Sgt. Rachel Youkey, another advisor, saying that many of the Afghans who attended the demonstration may have simply been assigned their jobs, with no technical school, no experience, and may have only been in the position for three months. One man, an older Afghan, had been taught about ammunition by Russians 25 years ago.

But with their joint goal in mind, the munitions demonstration was organized to show the efficiency and safety that has helped to make the U.S. Air Force successful.

"The equipment may be different, but the disciplined approach to work is consistent. For them to see safety equipment, using technical orders, checklists- the idea that they move with purpose- it's an example that our Afghan partners need to see," concluded Brig. Gen. Paul Johnson, commander of the 451st AEW, as he watched the demonstration.

A group of three young Airmen, a weapons loading crew from the 451st AEW, began to hand out earplugs and give a safety briefing. They paused every few minutes for the directions to be repeated in Pashto, the common language of Kandahar. Methodically, they began to read from technical orders, books universally used by the Air Force to work on aircraft. A generator whined to life.

In what was described by Command Sergeant Major Mohammad Hassan Akbarzai of the Kandahar Air Wing as a river of bullets, the Airmen fed ammunition into the gun of the A-10. The Afghans grouped around the Airmen and watched them intently.

Sergeant Youkey said she hoped the demonstration would help instill a culture of safety, respect for the power of the machinery and risks into the new Afghan military. Afghanistan has a history of superstition, where safety precautions may be considered a sign of weakness.

"They are very proud of having no fear," she described.

Simply taking the jobs they now fill could be considered brave- many of her students and their families may put their lives at risk by working with the United States. As an advisor, Youkey's responsibility is to understand the culture of the Afghans she teaches. Her challenge is to understand the motivation of her students.

"A lot of it is glory, to do right by the family," she recalled. "They are not powered by competition. It's a completely different outlook on life. We have to reevaluate how we encourage them as students."

The Afghans are very team oriented and have a tendency to work as a larger group. In some situations, however, a large group is unnecessary. For the demonstration, it only took three young Airmen to efficiently load the ammunition.

"It was important for the Kandahar team to see how young Airman, when trained, can do such a good job." said Brig. Gen. Johnson. "They see what right looks like and they see our Airmen doing it themselves."

Any one of the three crew members, commented the Afghan Command Sergeant Major, he would confidently allow them to train is older noncommissioned officers.

Airman 1st Class Kevin Jones, one of the weapons loading crew members from the 451st AEW, turned 21 two days before the demonstration. He wasn't especially concerned by the audience of Afghans, chiefs and the General, standing a few feet away as he worked. Nonchalantly, he dismissed the demonstration as being no different than any other day, performing the job he was trained to do, keeping the aircraft working.

Just like the Airmen, the young Afghan military could train to be just as confident.

2/25/2011 - KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Every 500 flight hours, each A-10 must go through a phase inspection. In the five months the current inspection team of the 451st AEW has been at Kandahar Airfield, they've completed twenty phase inspections and repaired more than 6,000 total discrepancies.

The inspection might find hairline cracks, missing bolts or chafed hydraulic lines. The inspection is especially necessary for an aircraft that may be older than the pilot flying it.

"This guy could use some dental work," remarked Tech Sgt. Thomas Breining, running his hand over the gray nose of an A-10 where the teeth of this "Tiger Shark" had been chipped away from previous repairs.

Breining and his crew rotate through a different aircraft about every six days at the airfield, which is half the time they would normally take for inspection back at their home station, Moody AFB, Ga. The break between aircraft inspections at KAF has ranged from one week to thirty minutes.

"We take off the panels, look at every item from engines, to flight controls, to each rivet holding on a nutplate for a panel," he described. "The aircraft drives the rest of it."

The specific needs of the aircraft, any discrepancies, merit the attention of the subject matter experts. Fuels, avionics, engines, sheet metal, egress and armament will each send technicians to the phase dock to repair any discrepancies that were identified. Additionally, the non-destructive inspection, repair and reclamation, metals technology and electrical and environmental will take part in phase inspection. Armament inspectors, for example, are responsible for both the gun of the A-10 and munitions racks that are capable of supporting 2,000 pound bombs. Every phase inspection guts the huge ammunition-carrying drum from the plane to inspect it and clean the gun bay.

"We see stuff we don't see at home-- buildup of carbon, wear," described Staff Sgt. Christopher Deem, a combat armament support chief.

In fact, the 451st AEW A-10s set a record for their Area of Responsibility, Afghanistan. From the combined guns of those aircraft, more than 100,000 total rounds were fired within two months in support of troops on the ground in October and November of 2010. Tech. Sgt. Donovan Stinson, a combat armament team chief, estimated that they've seen the heaviest usage in the history of the A-10.

"We're seeing things nobody has seen before," he concluded.

In addition to their primary responsibility in phase inspections, Sergeants Stinson and Deem also respond to emergencies in their aircraft system.

One of the most challenging moments they recalled during their deployment was a weapon malfunction. During a mission, the pilot's gun had a sudden stoppage and wouldn't clear. Once he landed, Stinson and Deem met the aircraft and began to carefully inspect the gun. With live rounds in the chamber, the wrong movement could have caused it to fire at any moment.

The gun is only designed to be fired during flight. The shot is so powerful that if it was fired while the plane was sitting on the ground, the entire aircraft could be knocked on its tail.

"The nose would go up and everyone around would be bleeding from the ears," Sergeant Stinson described.

Finally, they found the problem. The stoppage, they found, was caused by several bolts that had become loose and backed out. The gun is designed to fire almost four thousand rounds a minute and, during training and within the United States pilots try to avoid firing for continuously for more than three seconds.

"In combat, they'll go a lot longer than three seconds," said Sergeant Deem.

After fixing the weapon, they submitted a correction to their technical orders, which are universal books used by all crew chiefs, suggesting the bolts be secured to keep them in place.

The extraordinary amount of wear that Stinson and Deem, and other phase inspectors see at Kandahar Airfield gives them an opportunity to see how the aircraft will respond under the stress, and how it can improve.

Between their hard work at Kandahar Airfield and the maintainers they left at the 23rd Equipment Maintenance Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga, the crew chiefs were recognized with the Hog Star Award on Feb. 8, 2011. It is an annual prize given by the Air Force A-10 System Program Office that recognized the maintainers' innovation and hard work.

"It's a good system," said Sergeant Stinson of the A-10. "It's been around forever. Not a lot of cars the same age are used as much as this plane."

Despite the quality of the aircraft, or any improvements, the inspectors are still meticulous. Unlike a forty year old car, an aircraft can't just pull over when something breaks.

2/24/2011 - Greg Steele, a photographer for the 307th Bomb Wing's Public Affairs Office, fields some questions from a group of Bossier Parish 5th Grade students during a briefing about the A-10 Thunderbolt II at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Feb. 24, 2011. The students are attending STARBASE Louisiana, at Barksdale, one of 60 national STARBASE sites. It is sponsored by the 307th Bomb Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command. This particular briefing consisted of students from two separate classes, one from Bossier Elementary and the other from Waller Elementary. The program presents an exciting 25-hour hands on/minds on aviation and aerospace curriculum to area 5th grade students and their teachers. The DoD program is committed to addressing the critical needs in STEM education - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - STARBASE Louisiana introduces its students to exciting STEM education topics, inspiring these young minds to further explore these topics in future course work. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston)Hi-res

2/24/2011 - Greg Steele, a photographer for the 307th Bomb Wing’s Public Affairs Office, discusses aircraft attitude, which is how an aircraft climbs and descends, with a group of Bossier Parish 5th Grade students during a briefing about the A-10 Thunderbolt II at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Feb. 24, 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston)Hi-res

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Warthog News contributors Alex and Thorsten Kleine Ruse, both from Germany, had the opportunity to take the following shots of A-10Cs from the 81st Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing (USAFE), Spangdahlem AB, Germany, during latest life fire training at Germany's Nordhorn Range.

On February 23, 2011, Alex e-mailed me the following pictures and told me:

Yesterday, from 14:00 to 14:35 local time, there were two A-10Cs at Nordhorn Range. Some "High Angle Dive" bomb runs were followed 15 minutes later by a "High Angle Strafe". After that, there happened two rounds of "Low Angle Strafes", unfortunately only for 81-0992, because 82-0646 should had some problems and escaped in the 5000ft Overhead.

2/23/2011 - Lt. Col. James Macaulay, deputy commander, 917th Fighter Group, discusses the capabilities of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, to Mr. Ross Nodurft, who is a congressional staffer to Senator Mary Landrieu, during his visit to the 307th BW and 917th Fighter Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Feb. 22, 2011. Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana. Mr. Nodurft made the visit to Barksdale to discuss base issues, facilities and future base plans. His visit also included stops at Air Force Global Strike Command and 2nd Bomb Wing facilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston) Hi-res

Note: According to the ejection seat's inscription, the aircraft is A-10C 80-0232.

2/22/2011 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- In February I had the privilege of attending this year's Hogfest banquet to honor our top maintainers.

Seeing all those world-class maintenance professionals in one room reminded me of a night as a young fighter pilot when a maintenance superintendent overheard me telling stories about a successful bombing mission.

The chief congratulated me for a job well done, and then asked if I knew who prepared the jet for take-off. Of course I did, I told him - the crew chief. Then he asked me if I knew who loaded the bombs and again, of course I did - the weapons loaders.

"Who built the bombs?" he asked.

After a few more questions I started to figure out the lesson that wise old chief was trying to teach me. With each answer, my role in the mission seemed a little less important compared to the role of the hundreds of other people who had contributed to putting those bombs on target.

I learned an important lesson that day - every person in a wing plays some vital role in mission accomplishment. We have many incredibly talented individuals in the 442nd Fighter Wing, like the four 2010 annual award winners that were announced at February's commander's call:

Master Sgt. Vickie Chambers, 442nd Airman and Family Readiness Office, was named Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.

First Sgt. (Senior Master Sgt.) Angela Bryant, 442nd Security Forces Squadron, was named First Sergeant of the Year.

Each of these award winners made outstanding individual contributions to our mission to Train and Deploy Ready Reservists, but more importantly they set great examples for the kind of teamwork the chief taught me about.

That teamwork will be more important than ever as we tackle this year's top priority of earning an outstanding rating on our operational readiness inspection. Our maintainers will carry much of the load as they prepare our jets for deployment and combat generation, and many other parts of the wing will be inspected as well, but no one will work alone. All of us will pitch in and work together as a team to succeed whether we are directly tasked during the inspection or not.

Part of that team effort starts with personal readiness. Your supervisors will be responsible for notifying you about how to complete all the requirements in your readiness folder, but it's also your responsibility as a ready reservist to complete the unfinished tasks. Review the yellow pages in this month's Mohawk, which have checklists of what you need to accomplish, and talk to your supervisor if you need help with completing any of the required items.

You should also expect to receive a recall notification via phone number or e-mail address a few days before the March unit training assembly. This accountability drill is an important part of our inspection readiness, so please respond to this recall as soon you receive it. Let your family know what to expect in case they are the ones who answer the phone.

Finally, as we build momentum toward the phase-one inspection in August, we need to get our game faces ready.

I've been out in most of your shops and offices, and I see a lot of great people who are doing great things, but I also see that you're worn out, and I don't blame you. I know that years of inspections and re-inspections and preparation for inspections have not been easy, and morale has suffered.

I also know you probably didn't join the Air Force Reserve to take compuer-based training tests (CBTs) and wear mission-oriented protective posture gear (MOPP) every drill weekend.

The good news is there is light at the end of the tunnel. We're going to take this inspection head on and put it behind us so we can get back to what this great wing does best - exceptional service to our country in real-world deployments while having fun along the way.

Starting with the exercise this month, when inspectors approach you let them know the 442nd Fighter Wing knows our stuff! I want you to be polite and respectful, but I also want you to carry a "bring-it-on" attitude into this inspection. We have a great spin-up plan to prepare us for the inspection, and you have proven time and time again that you're the best in the business when it comes to preparing and sending Citizen Airmen down range for real world operations.

The phase-one inspection will evaluate our ability to do just that, so execute your part of the mission as you've been trained to do, and let the inspectors bring it on - because we'll be ready.

This will be a busy year for everyone, but I will be out in your work areas over the next few months to meet you and find out what I can do to make it easier for you to get your part of the mission done.

Thanks to you and your families for everything you do and will do over this next month- it's an honor to serve as your commander.

Selfridge Air National Guard Base has been named the Airfield Complex of the Year by the Air National Guard for 2010. The award recognizes exemplary performance in air traffic control, air traffic control maintenance and airfield management. (U.S. Air Force photo by John Swanson)Hi-res

Note: Awesome shot. According to photo info, this picture was already taken on August 19, 2010. There's one A-10 on the ramp. Eleven more A-10s are parked under sun roofs.

by TSgt. Dan Heaton127th Wing Public Affairs

2/22/2011 - SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. -- Selfridge Air National Guard Base has been named the Airfield Flight Operations Complex of the Year by the Air National Guard.

The award recognizes exemplary performance in air traffic control, air traffic control maintenance and airfield management. By being named the complex of the year by the Air National Guard, Selfridge is now under consideration for an Air Force-wide award for airfield operations.

"This is the first time that Selfridge has ever won this award and I think it reflects the fact that we have really adopted a one team, one fight attitude, across the airfield," said Mark Winsor, air traffic manager at Selfridge. "People rolled up their sleeves and made this happen."

Airfield operations at Selfridge underwent a major systems evaluation last September in which the base received high marks from the visiting inspection team. With that accolade in hand, airfield managers decided to submit a package for consideration for the complex of the year award.

"As the host unit at a base that serves so many different agencies and so many different missions, it is critical that we provide the highest possible level of air traffic control and airfield management services," said Brig. Gen. Michael Peplinski, 127th Wing commander. "The men and women working in these shops have really stepped up in the last year or so to make this award possible."

The award comes shortly after a number of major changes in operations at Selfridge, notably the arrival of a variety of Dept. of Homeland Security aircraft flown by the Customs & Border Protection agency and the 127th Wing's transition away from flying C-130s and F-16s to flying KC-135s and A-10s. Winsor said that the presence of the DHS aircraft and the shift to F-16s has resulted in a slight boost in the traffic count at Selfridge. The Selfridge field handled about 16,350 aircraft operations in the four quarter of 2010, including aircraft departures, arrivals and aircraft that flu through air space controlled by the Selfridge tower.

With so much aircraft activity on the base, there is an acute need to keep numerous departments and shops across the base in the loop on what's happening on the airfield. Shops ranging from Security Forces to the Command Post and numerous others are able to tap into the Air Force Aviation System (AFAS) maintained by the Airfield Management shop to be able to know what is happening on the airfield when they need to know it.

"Our AFAS is considered to be the flagship system in the entire Air Force," said Senior Master Sgt. Kelli Martin, airfield manager. "We've done more to integrate more people who need information into our system than anywhere else in the Air Force. It provides instant data to those who need it, when they need it."

Martin said the airfield management shop has also been noted for its work updating and maintaining a database of all personnel who are authorized to drive government vehicles on the base flight line. Selfridge is one of two locations in the Air Force being used as a test site for a new drivers management system.

"Technical Sgt. Kathy Fuller re-wrote our driving program as a result of the different aircraft on the base and the change in where they are parked," Martin said. "With all of the different agencies out here and all of our traditional Guard members, we maintain a database of approximately 800 drivers."

The change in traffic patterns and aircraft parking areas on the airfield also required changes in vehicle traffic and new lanes and related markers being painted on the airfield.

Martin said some new equipment has also been installed around the airfield as a result of the different types of aircraft.

About 45 people work in the three departments directly related to the award, representing a mix of civilian employees, contractors and military personnel.

"I think team work is really what brought this award to Selfridge. Working together as a team strengthens anything you do," Winsor said.

The cover shows a shark-mouthed A-10 from the 23rd Fighter Group. Oups! In reality, an A-10 with the serial number 81-0903 doesn't exist. Full size

Monday, 21 February 2011

The Fighter Collection and Eagle Dynamics proudly announces the release of DCS: A-10C Warthog flight simulator. This second series of DCS line includes flyable famous US A-10C aircraft, 3 campaigns, 26 missions, improved graphics and AI, an advanced mission editor and many more features.

PRESS RELEASE

"DCS: A‐10C WARTHOG" Released

DUXFORD, UK, February 21, 2011 – The Fighter Collection and Eagle Dynamics now offer "DCS: A‐10C Warthog" as a digital download for $59.99.

"DCS: A‐10C Warthog" is a PC simulation of the U.S. premier Close Air Support attack aircraft. This is the second aircraft in the DCS series, following DCS: Black Shark, and raises the bar even higher in the DCS series.Warthog brings the most realistic PC simulation of a modern fixed wing combat aircraft in regards to flight dynamics, avionics, sensors, and weapon systems. You also have the option to play Warthog in "Game" mode for a casual game experience. Fly missions in the Caucuses region of the Black Sea against and with a widearray of air, land and sea forces with new and improved intelligence. Create your own missions and campaigns with the included Mission and Campaign Editors, and fly with and against friends online using the included online game browser.

Key Features:• Fly the A‐10C "Warthog" in either realistic or game modes.• Fly missions in either Georgia and Russia.• Interactive training missions shallow the learning curve dramatically.• Rich campaigns and single missions included.• Multiplayer cooperative and head‐to‐head.• Feature‐rich Mission and Campaign editors allow user created content.• The most realistic flight dynamics ever done for a PC simulation.• Huge array of land, air and sea units to flight along and against.• Ability to command ground forces during missions with radio commands.• Fully interactive Forward Air Controller (FAC) that helps you find targets.

About The Fighter Collection:The Fighter Collection, as well as developing software for the entertainment and serious game markets, also operates, rebuilds and maintains Europe's largest collection of airworthy WWII fighters and is based at Duxford Airfield, in the UK. For more information visit our websites: http://www.fighter‐collection.com/

Sunday, February 20, 2011

At Nellis AFB, Nevada, Warthog News contributor Bruce Smith from the United States had the opportunity to watch the arrival of two A-10Cs from the 190th Fighter Squadron, 124th Fighter Wing (Idaho ANG). The aircraft are 78-0627 and 78-0643. What they came in for is still unknown.

As reported by Warthog News contributor Bruce Smith from the United States in an e-mail to me, ten A-10Cs from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Fighter Wing (Michigan ANG), Selfridge ANGB, has been arrived at Nellis AFB, Nevada, for the upcoming Red Flag 11-3 exercise (February 21 - March 11).

First known arrival picture, taken by Bruce and already published on his well-recommended Flickr photostream:

Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. The exercise takes place north of Las Vegas on the Nevada Test and Training Range--the U.S. Air Force's premier military training area with more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. With 1,900 possible targets, realistic threat systems and an opposing enemy force that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world, Nellis and the NTTR are the home of a "peacetime battlefield," providing combat air forces with the ability to train to fight together, to survive together and to win together.

The 414th Combat Training Squadron is responsible for executing Red Flag, which is one of a series of advanced training program exercises that organizations assigned to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center administer at Nellis AFB and on the NTTR by.

Red Flag 11-3 will mark the official transition to a three-week exercise. It will also undergo several changes to include cyberspace as a new domain in execution of Red Flag.

For the first two weeks of Red Flag 11-3, more than 80 aircraft are scheduled to depart Nellis twice a day, with early launches around 11 a.m. and late launches around 7 p.m. During the third week, early launches change to 2 p.m. and late launches begin around 9:30 p.m. Aircraft may remain in the air for up to four hours. The flying times are scheduled to accommodate the other flying missions at Nellis and to provide Red Flag participants with valuable training in planning and executing a wide-variety of combat missions.

The exercise involves a variety of U.S. forces aircraft, to include F-15s, F-16s, E-3s, E-8s, A-10s, B-2s, C-130s and KC-135s, from Nevada, Missouri, Georgia, New Mexico, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, South Carolina and Washington. In addition to U.S. aircraft, the U.K. Royal Air Force will participate with GR4 Tornados and the Royal Australian Air Force will participate with their C-130s.

For a complete list of participating aircraft for the exercise, visit http://www.nellis.af.mil/redflag-nellis/. For more information about Red Flag, call the Nellis Public Affairs Office at (702) 652-2750.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Nellis will hold a Red Flag Media Day Feb. 22. Outlets interested in attending the media day can call (702) 652-2750 to RSVP.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

At Spangdahlem AB, Germany, Warthog News contributor Matthias Bienentreu from Germany had the opportunity to take the following shots, first published on German Flugzeugforum, February 10, 2011 (See: Flugbetrieb in Spangdahlem (ETAD) 2011):

Friday, February 18, 2011

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Capt. Aaron Bigler, 81st Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot, talks with Bulgarian air force Lt. Col. Spas Erev, air traffic control chief, and Bulgarian air force Maj. Stoyan Petkov, air traffic controller, about the capabilities of the A-10 here Feb. 16. Colonel Erev and Major Petkov visited from Graf Ignatievo Air Force Base, Bulgaria, with other members of the Bulgarian air force to become more familiar with U.S. Air Force air traffic control operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Fredericks)

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Capt. Aaron Bigler, 81st Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot, talks with Bulgarian air force Maj. Stoyan Petkov, air traffic controller, as he flies an A-10 flight simulator here Feb. 16. Major Petkov visited from Graf Ignatievo Air Force Base, Bulgaria, with other members of the Bulgarian air force to become more familiar with U.S. Air Force air traffic control operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Fredericks)

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Bulgarian air force Lt. Col. Spas Erev, air traffic control chief, looks up as he flies an A-10 Thunderbolt II flight simulator here Feb. 16. Colonel Erev visited from Graf Ignatievo Air Force Base, Bulgaria, with other members of the Bulgarian air force to become more familiar with U.S. Air Force air traffic control operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Fredericks)

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Bulgarian air force Lt. Col. Spas Erev, air traffic control chief, climbs down from the cockpit of an A-10 Thunderbolt II after a brief explaining the pilot’s interaction with air traffic controllers here Feb. 16. Colonel Erev visited from Graf Ignatievo Air Force Base, Bulgaria, with other members of the Bulgarian air force to become more familiar with U.S. Air Force air traffic control operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Fredericks)

75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron A-10 pilot Capt. Ryan Hayde prepares to fly a mission over Afghanistan accompanied by American flags. Flags from all countries, sports teams, schools and more may be flown as part of the 451st AEW flag flying program at Kandahar Airfield, but American flags are by far the most common requested. The program is free, but the requester must supply his or her own flag. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Chad Chisholm)Hi-res

by Tech Sgt. Emily F. Alley451st AEW Public Affairs

2/17/2011 - KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Whether a unique thank you, patriotic souvenir, or solemn reminder more than 3,000 flags have been flown over the skies of Afghanistan by the combined aircraft of the 451st AEW over the past six months.

The wing, through its Operations Support Squadron, carries flags on routine missions over Afghanistan. It's an additional duty that aircrew have willingly accepted and anyone can submit any flag to be flown.

"We've had Boy Scout flags flown along with team flags," recalled Airman 1st Class Joshua Williams, a knowledge operator who is now the manager the flag flying program and whose office is packed with boxes full of American flags.

Lt. Col. Joel Hampton, commander of the 451st AEW Operational Support Flight, acknowledged that part the popularity of the 451st AEW program is that it's free, but members supply their own flags.

"We feel it does a lot for morale. Relatives, friends back home, kids and grandparents," Hampton remarked on the importance of the program.

Senior Airman Dominico Jones, who coordinated the flag flying program for the past six months prior to Airman Williams's arrival, has also heard requests for schools, firefighters, Marines and Canadians. Occasionally he'll get special requests, such as supplying a flown flag to a WWII veteran who's been given a month to live.

"Those I'll take and fly myself," described Colonel Hampton, who is also an A-10 pilot, wanting to ensure the special requests are handled with a personal touch.

For routine requests, flags will wait to fly in the order they were received, which takes about three weeks before being returned. If the flag is requested to fly on multiple aircraft in the 451st AEW catalogue, it may take up to three months.

A large number of flags are requested by soldiers, many on a second or third deployment, said the colonel. Many, he described, credit the A-10 or one of the other 451st AEW aircraft with having saved their lives. When the soldiers drop off their flags and paperwork, they'll sit down and tell their story.

"They'll say, 'I want it flown on the A-10. That was the plane that saved me last time'," he recalled.

Airman Jones was struck by the story of a group of soldiers from a mounted division, who had fallen under attack while on a patrol. The group was almost out of ammunition and being fired on from several sides when a single Airman in their group called in an air strike. Within 10 minutes an A-10 screamed overhead and destroyed the insurgents. Airman Jones claimed each of the soldiers requested flags from the A-10s.

"At times, it can be demanding," Jones said of the program, which has grown larger over the past year. "But the look of appreciation you get, why these flags are important, the stories you hear make it worth it."

Airman Williams, who recently filled the position as Flag Flying Manager, plans to take advantage of it while he's deployed to Kandahar.

"I'm getting a flag flown for my uncle," he described.

Chief Master Sgt. Dean Roberts also requested flags, which he intends as a gift for people who've supported him during his deployment to Afghanistan.

"That the aircrews care enough to be involved with it on their missions speaks volumes," he added. "I appreciate their efforts."

Williams also doesn't mind the responsibility, or the boxes of flags- which are stuffed into every inch of shelf space in his office- any one of which might be for someone who was saved by one of his unit's aircraft.

Dedicated in Love

This blog is dedicated to Marina Naumann, my latest female partner who died after incurable pancreas cancer on June 17, 2010, just only a half year after diagnosis. Marina was the second true wife in my life, and she always supported my long-year enthusiastic research work on the Hog, especially since the beginning of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Rest in peace, Marina.